Thankful For 2010....Looking Forward To 2011

These past days, I had been composing in my mind how to post for my year ending blog.  I  can just think of blessings.  Am sure I had my share of trials, but those are learning expeditions for future realizations.

For Sunshine Chicken, I can't ask for more.  Only on our 3rd year for the dressed chicken market, we got a lot of media mileage for 2010.  How many TV shows featured us?  At least six (6).  Mag Agri tayo featured us twice this year.  I have to look at their support and of course to Mr. Zac Sarian, Editor for Agriculture of Manila Bulletin, who is always documenting our moves in the pastured, free range chicken industry. Both of them had been covering our transition from colored to white.  The last segment we had in December 25 with Mag Agri tayo will be followed up soon by a TV shoot again next week.  That show got a lot of good reviews and feedback.  Mr. Sarian just wrote about us last week and will follow up in the January issues of Agriculture Magazine and Panorama.

As for our sales for dressed Sunshine Chicken?  Take it from the cue that we are always loading dayold chicks :)

Just as I was composing in my mind how to "Thank" 2010 and everyone...I got a call informing me that Bobby Inocencio passed away while vacationing in Dumaguete.  Bobby is the Father of Free Range Chicken industry in the Philippines.  He reintroduced and opened our eyes again to how chickens should be raised, not just for backyard, but for commercial too. Solraya Enterprises as that time was just into distributing of dayold chicks for Bobby's Teresa Farm.  I may not agree with his business styles, but after we stopped doing business, we maintained friendship.  Later on, when we started importing and selling chicks, roles were reversed and he bought our Sunshine chicks and sold them the the clients who trusted and just wanted to buy from Bobby :)  That is one thing that remained, and SASSO of France knows that...that triangle of work and respect remained between SASSO of France, Bobby of Teresa Farm and Solraya Enterprises.  I had to let France know right away about Bobby's passing away....even before I remembered to call Bobby's UP College barkada (we had common friends).

There will be no Sunshine Chicken if there was no Bobby Inocencio.  We have no unfinished business together and he knew we were friends even after the business deals were over.  Last contact was to greet each other for Christmas.

Thank you to all for the joys and blessings shared.  If we shared trials....that is it...just trials to see how we deal with all of these :)

Contests

Every Sunday, over Kaunlaran sa Agrikultura, 4:30-7:30am, DWWW 774 khz, we run a contest for consumer awareness and education. Prize is 10 chicks, claimed every last Sunday of the month during the monthly Agri Kapihan forums.

Last Sunday, I like our question, didn't need poultry knowledge...it was sentido komon, common sense. Can't remeber exactly how I phrased it, but it somehow went like:

Bakit wala dapat mag claim na nauna sa pagintroduce ng free range na manok dito, at bakit hindi kailangan ng specialista sa pag aalaga ng Sunshines? (Why shouldn't anyone claim to be the first in introducing the free range chicken in the Philippines, and why you don't need a specialist to raise these Sunshines?

We got good, simple and true answers :)

1) Ganun naman talaga ang mga manok natin bago pa dumating ang commercial poultry.
2) Pagala sila at malakas sa mga sakit, at likas sa kanila ang paghanap ng sariling pagkain.
3) Pagala lang sila at simple ang pagaalaga
4) Talaga namang naka free range ang mga manok nung sinauna.

We always say, let us go back to basics and unlearn the misconceptions about poultry management. Go back to what is simple and common sense. In these cases, easier to teach the unlearned rather than specialists.

As I always say, if we have to credit anyone for opening the eyes of people to the free range chicken industry again, it is Bobby Inocencio. I'm glad we are very much in touch with him to this day.

Father

Today is Father's Day! May all the children now relish the times and memories of having a father. There are no good nor bad fathers. Just FATHERS...they always wish us the best.

Being a Sunday, we always have a trivia question for a contest to win 10 Sunshine Day Old Chicks over DWWW 774khz's Kalikasan Sa Agrikultura, 4:30-7:30 am.

I wanted something befitting the celebration...so it went: Sino ang tinitingala na tatay ng French colored chickens sa Pilipinas? Malaki ang pasasalamat ng kompanyang SASSO at Solraya sa kanya. (Who is looked up to as the father of French colored chickens in the Philippines? The companies SASSO and Solraya are very thankful to him).

The answers came in one after the other...fast! Anthony "Bobby" Inocencio is no doubt the father SASSO and Solraya refers to :)

Though Bobby is presently focused on something else, we always credit the initial awareness on the free range chicken to him. We hope to educated the people in line with what is proper, learning from Bobby, and not tire of explaining the difference of our F1 Sunshines from the proper Parent Stocks for breeding.

Radyo Ng Bayan Guests SASSO

General Manager of SASSO, Louis Perrault arrived 2 hrs delayed, April6...just in time to make the radio interview at Radyo ng Bayan by 2pm.

He mentioned how SASSO acknowledges the fact that is was the former importer (Bobby Inocencio of Teresa Farms) who put the name of SASSO in the map of the Philippines. But due to refocusing and later developments, a new alliance had been formed between SASSO and Solraya...thus Sunshine Chicken was born.

Again, SASSO is not a breed. It is the name of a genetic company in France, now on its 30th year. Solraya brought in Parent Stocks to produce F1 free ranged grass fed chicks, we branded as Sunshine.

Steamed Chicken Of Marusil

Marusil is Bobby Inocencio's better half. Since Bobby is the Godfather of Free Range Chicken in the Philippines, Marusil cooked a lot of the ranging chicken to be served to guests.

This recipe was featured in a brochure that they used to give around.

Marusil is Ilongga. I am not sure if this is a regional recipe.

Marusil's Steamed Chicken
Ingredients:
• 1 whole SUNSHINE chicken
• 1 teaspoon rock salt
• 1 chunk ginger, grated
• 1 head garlic, crushed
• 2-3 stalks lemongrass
Gravy:
• dripping from steamed chicken
• 2 T all purpose flour
• spring onions and grated ginger
• salt and pepper
• 2 T peanut oil
Directions:
Rub chicken with salt. Rub juice of grated ginger on the skin and inside of the chicken. Stuff chicken with grated ginger, crushed garlic and lemongrass. Steam for 30-40 mins or until tender. Set aside.

For the gravy, sauté the onions and grated ginger. Stir in the dripping. Dissolve flour in water and stir into the dripping mixture when boiling. Add salt and pepper. Top with spring onions and grated ginger. Serve with chicken.